Vacuum cleaning devices commonly include accessories to enhance the vacuum cleaning function for different circumstances. These accessories have included variously shaped nozzles which can be attached to the vacuum inlet. Nozzle inlet accessories have also included different brush devices. Accessory caddy devices have been developed to store the accessories with the vacuum cleaner, so they do not become lost and are readily available for use during vacuum cleaning.
One type of accessory caddy has operated to store the accessories on the vacuum cleaner housing. Such housing-based accessory caddies have been used with canister, upright and hand-held vacuum cleaners. In each case, the additional weight of these accessory devices must be moved as the vacuum cleaner housing is moved. This additional weight is particularly problematic with hand-held vacuums where the user is manually supporting the housing.
Another type of accessory caddy has operated to store the accessories on the suction hose of the vacuum. Such suction hose-based accessory caddies store the accessories extremely close to their point of use Unfortunately, similar to the housing-based caddies, this type of accessory caddie typically requires that the additional weight of the accessories be carried by the user during vacuuming. In addition, the accessories are stored where they are most likely to hit an adjacent object and/or get knocked from the accessory caddy.
Upon careful study, Applicant has discerned these problems and developed an accessory caddy as disclosed herein. Applicant has discovered that it is desirable to have an accessory caddy which enables balancing of the desire to make the accessories readily available to a user during vacuuming with the desire to reduce, e.g., one or more of the problems discussed above.